Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles: Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; 15 Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor – Luke 6:12-16

When it comes to making big decisions what do you do? Do you call a friend? Do you struggle to make a decision? Do you put off making a decision? Or do you seek God in prayer? Before choosing the twelve disciples whom He also named apostles, Jesus sought His Father in prayer and spent all night communing with Him. He had a big decision to make and needed wisdom and guidance. He was setting an example for us. When faced with big decisions or life changing situations, we need to go straight to the Source of all wisdom and knowledge. He knows the beginning and the end and He knows what is best for us.

Prayer is extremely important. It is our best option when faced with tough choices or trials or problems or challenges. When Solomon was faced with the daunting task of ruling God’s people after his father died, he sought God in prayer. It was a beautiful prayer and it even pleased God. “Now, O LORD God, let Your promise to David my father be established, for You have made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude. Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of Yours?” (2 Chronicles 1:9, 10). Solomon was young and wanted to be an able leader for the people but he knew that he couldn’t do this without God’s help so he appealed to Him to give him the tools he needed to be an effective leader–wisdom and knowledge.

Prayer is our connection to God who cares about us and is ready to provide whatever we ask for. Jesus encouraged persistent prayer. He encouraged us to pray in faith, believing that what we ask for we will receive. Instead of worrying, Paul advises us “in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6, 7). Many times I have been overwhelmed by something going on in my life and I turned to God in prayer. In the midst of my anguish, I feel God’s peace come over me, calming me, assuring me that He will get me through this.

Seek God in prayer daily. Daniel prayed three times a day. You can pray anywhere and anytime. As you are sitting on the train on your way to work, you can pray. As you fix breakfast, you can give God thanks and ask Him to help you get through your day. You can pray as you walk to the bus-stop or the office. That’s the beautiful thing about prayer, it is not limited by time or place. And God is always there, just waiting to hear from you.

Prayer is a privilege we should never take for granted and should always take advantage of. Jesus, through His sacrifice on the cross has made it possible for us to have easy access to God through prayer. Thanks to Him, we can “come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).